Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Ethiopia Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Ethiopia

Name: Ethiopia
Address: ET

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,182 per month in Australia vs $786 in Ethiopia, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,216 per month in Australia vs $1,185 in Ethiopia, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,250 per month in Australia vs $1,584 in Ethiopia, rent included.

Australia costs about 178% more than Ethiopia on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 63% above the global median, while Ethiopia is 41% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 A$22.54

$4.40 ETB 693

267.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.6 A$110

$35.21 ETB 5,548

123.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.48 A$13.21

$6.64 ETB 1,046

42.77%

Cappuccino

$3.56 A$4.96

$1.16 ETB 183

206.90%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 A$3.62

$0.60 ETB 94.4

333.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 A$3.08

$0.46 ETB 73.0

380.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.47 A$9.02

$1.02 ETB 160

534.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 A$10.02

$2.03 ETB 321

254.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 A$2.18

$1.42 ETB 224

9.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.53

$1.29 ETB 203

96.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 A$2.82

$1.68 ETB 264

20.24%

Eggs

$4.47 A$6.23

$2.48 ETB 391

80.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.86 A$12.35

$7.22 ETB 1,138

22.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.38 A$11.68

$12.54 ETB 1,976

-33.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 A$19.10

$13.08 ETB 2,062

4.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 A$4.50

$6.25 ETB 985

-48.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 A$3.96

$0.98 ETB 155

189.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.15

$2.30 ETB 363

29.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.38 A$6.10

$0.85 ETB 134

415.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 A$3.41

$0.64 ETB 100

282.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 A$2.94

$1.88 ETB 296

12.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 A$3.02

$0.73 ETB 115

195.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 A$2.21

$0.67 ETB 106

135.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.61 A$42.65

$3.92 ETB 618

680.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.23 A$19.83

$5.37 ETB 847

164.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.55 A$6.34

$0.84 ETB 133

441.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.91 A$6.84

$1.84 ETB 290

166.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.89 A$4.03

$0.27 ETB 42.41

970.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.5 A$136

$12.42 ETB 1,957

684.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 A$4.94

$1.48 ETB 233

139.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 A$2.43

$0.31 ETB 49.27

464.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.10 A$53.1

$1.96 ETB 308

1843.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 A$1.62

$1.25 ETB 197

-7.20%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$28.8K A$40.1K

$53.3K ETB 8.4M

-45.96%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.2K A$32.3K

$53.3K ETB 8.4M

-56.49%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$179 A$249

$135 ETB 21.2K

32.62%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$26.75 A$37.27

$11.93 ETB 1,880

124.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 A$74.8

$155 ETB 24.4K

-65.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.44 A$67.5

$62.1 ETB 9,791

-22.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.88 A$23.52

$36.89 ETB 5,813

-54.24%

Cinema Ticket

$13.61 A$18.97

$5.12 ETB 807

165.82%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,605 A$2,236

$77.2 ETB 12.2K

1978.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$17.7K

$39.8K ETB 6.3M

-68.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.4 A$99.5

$48.27 ETB 7,607

47.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 A$69.7

$76.6 ETB 12.1K

-34.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 A$139

$98.9 ETB 15.6K

0.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 A$152

$117 ETB 18.4K

-6.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,385 A$1,930

$682 ETB 107.4K

103.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,076 A$1,500

$379 ETB 59.8K

183.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,284 A$3,183

$1,406 ETB 221.6K

62.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,757 A$2,448

$891 ETB 140.4K

97.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,462 A$10.4K

$1,790 ETB 282.1K

316.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,617 A$7,827

$1,005 ETB 158.4K

458.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,070 A$5,672

$203 ETB 32.0K

1902.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

-62.65%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Australia: June 1, 2026

Last update for Ethiopia: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,233 in Australia vs $212 in Ethiopia. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,548 in Canberra and $758 in Addis Ababa.

Average salary: $3,906 in Australia vs $184 in Ethiopia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 482% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 285% more in Australia.

Public transport is 1575% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 2023% higher in Australia, giving Australia stronger purchasing power.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Australia vs Ethiopia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ethiopia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 214% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Australia, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Australia consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Ethiopia, contributing to the overall 214% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Ethiopia, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Ethiopia is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.